Old Havana, which used to be the original city of Havana, is now the city center as Havana has grown beyond its walls. However, it still remains the prettiest part of the city with pastel buildings and cobbled streets. To see Old Havana, it’s best to take a walking tour covering the four famous plazas starting from San Francisco de Asis Square as shown below.
San Francisco de Asis Square
Just across the harbor-front, you will find a small square with an old church and a fountain in the center. This square is the San Francisco de Asis plaza. Since this square so close to the port, it is usually the starting point of the walking tour of Old Havana for people getting off a cruise and for people coming on day-trips to Havana. It is less prominent than the other squares in both size and grandeur and easy to miss if you don’t know where it is. However, there are some good photo opportunities in San Francisco de Asis as you can find a lot of classic cars parked near the square.
Plaza Vieja
The most popular plaza is Plaza Vieja, also known as Old Town Square. Colonial buildings, with balconies facing the square, surround the square on all four sides. These balconies allowed its affluent residents, in the early 16th century, a panoramic view of all the public demonstrations and activities such as bullfights, processions and the most morbid one – executions, that went on in the plaza. Nowadays, tourists enjoy this lively square which has many cafĂ© and bars often with live music and dance.
Plaza de la Catedral
Havana Cathedral dominates Plaza de la Catedral with its Baroque-style architecture and two towers. However, you will notice something strange about these two towers. They are asymmetrical! If you notice, in the video, the right tower is wider than the left. Even if you are not the religious type, this Roman Catholic Cathedral is a must-visit if you visit Havana.
Plaza de Armas
Plaza de Armas has a more laid-back and less-touristy feel compared to the other plazas of Havana. The main highlight of this plaza is the park with beautiful palm trees as shown in the video. In the center of the park, you will find a marble statue of Carlos Manuel de CĂ©spedes. This plaza also used to host a flea-market that sold antique books. Sadly, this flea market has moved to the end of Obispo Street.
It is possible to walk from one plaza to another in about half a day as many itineraries of travel companies suggest. However, in my opinion, this type of half-day tour does not allow you to explore the plazas in detail. With such itineraries, you barely have 10 minutes at each plaza to grab some quick photos with too many tourists blocking your perfect shot. Your eyes will be busy keeping track of the travel guide instead of appreciating the pleasant pastel-colored buildings. This, coupled with any temperature above 30 degrees could quickly drain you of your patience and enjoyment of the tour.
To truly experience Old Havana, you should reserve a day or two to leisurely walk through these beautiful streets. Sample the street food, chat with locals, indulge in chocolate at chocolate museums and wait for the perfect moment to click your camera’s capture button because the views are certainly worth it.
Going to Cuba? Check out my post on What To Pack For Cuba. Don’t forget to pack these 10 Essential items for an enjoyable trip!
Love this Post? Share it on social media. Here’s a pin for your Pinterest board.
Hello ,
I saw your tweets and thought I will check your website. Have to say it looks very good!
I’m also interested in this topic and have recently started my journey as young entrepreneur.
I’m also looking for the ways on how to promote my website. I have tried AdSense and Facebok Ads, however it is getting very expensive.
Can you recommend something what works best for you?
I also want to improve SEO of my website. Would appreciate, if you can have a quick look at my website and give me an advice what I should improve:
(Recently I have added a new page about FutureNet and the way how users can make money on this social networking portal.)
I have subscribed to your newsletter. 🙂
Hope to hear from you soon.
P.S.
Maybe I will add link to your website on my website and you will add link to my website on your website? It will improve SEO of our websites, right? What do you think?
Regards
Jan Zac
This looks so interesting. I’d love to see this place someday as I love to travel.
Lindsey, you should add this to your travel bucket list. It such an interesting place and budget friendly too!
Old Havana looks amazing. It’s definitely a place I’d love to visit! Thanks for sharing!
Victoria | http://www.spokenreveries.co.uk
Thank you Victoria, you should definitely visit Havana if you get a chance. Its a place full of colour and culture!
[…] Going to Cuba? Check out my blog post Old Havana. […]
Havana is such a delight, I think most travelers would enjoy the quaint cobble-stoned streets! I agree, no heels! Your pictures of Havana are amazing!
[…] and let me know where you are travelling to. If you are traveling to Havana, check out my post on Old Havana […]
[…] want to know more about Havana Cuba, Check my posts : Old Havana Cuba: A Walking Tour Of The Four Plazas and Cuba Cars: 9 Cool Pictures of These Classic […]